No one says that being pregnant is easy. It doesn’t matter if you’re a new mom or experienced mother dealing with some of these symptoms for the first time. Here’s our advice on how to battle 4 common pregnancy symptoms.

Morning Sickness

Whether it’s feeling nausea or vomiting, one of the best habits to combat this symptom is to eat. Do not go long periods of time without eating food, even though it may feel counterintuitive. If a meal still doesn’t sound appetizing, eating crackers or just small meals throughout your day may be a better route. We also recommend eating something small like nuts or crackers right as you get out of bed for fight off morning nausea.

Basically just making sure your stomach acid has food to digest on—instead of your stomach lining—but also not too much where it’ll make you feel sick again. Just be sure that the meals you’re eating aren’t the kinds of food that are known to cause stomach distress, such as fried, greasy food and spicy food.

Grogginess and Fatigue

While pregnant, you’re generally going to have less energy to spare than you’re use to.  Progesterone, a hormone in your body that is released to maintain the early stages of your pregnancy, is what is making you tired. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to take naps during the day or go to bed early.  Everyone, especially women who are pregnant, need 8 to 9 hours of sleep every night.

Also incorporating energy foods like fruits and vegetables as wells as protein and complex carbohydrates will give you an extra boost in your day to avoid fatigue.  To top it off, daily exercise will get your endorphins pumping and your energy rejuvenated for the day! Exercise could be as simple as going on a walk with friends or taking a pregnant-friendly workout class at your local gym.

Breast Tenderness and Vaginal Discharge

Are your breasts feeling a bit heavy or swollen? As your body starts to pump out hormones in preparation for your new bundle of joy, you can ease the pain by wearing more supportive bras. This can include padded shoulder straps with full coverage support that lifts your breasts to alleviate the new pressure causing the pain.  You could also opt for a larger sport bra, if you are not comfortable with traditional bras. Additionally wearing loose tops—to avoid rubbing irritation—and cold compresses to your chest can help soothe and prevent further breast pain.

Are you also experiencing vaginal discharge? If the substance is a thin, milky and mildly smelling—this is normal. Do not use tampons or douches to prevent or clean the vagina from discharge as it could either introduce new germs to the area and cause an infection. Using panty liners is a good way to keep the vaginal area clean and to prevent infection. However, if you are experiencing discharge that is:

• Green or yellowish
• Strong in smell
• Red and itchy

You could have a yeast infection, which is common during pregnancy, and should see your doctor to get treated.  Do not treat vaginal discharges that you think are yeast infections yourself, and always get a second opinion and medical treatment from your doctor.

Lastly, it’s important to always communicate with your doctor any symptoms you’re having from your pregnancy when visiting for appointments. If you have questions about common symptoms or other pregnancy-related concerns schedule an appointment with one of the doctors at Mt. Auburn today!